European Powerlifting Federation
President: Arnulf Wahlström; Grimsrödhögda 25, N-1786 Halden, Norway
Tel.: #47-69-184538, Fax: +47-69-212470, E-Mail:
General Secretary:vacant
EPF Account IBANNr. ES4600190297924930027325, BIC(SWIFT) Deitesbbxxx,
Name Ralph Farquharson. Valid from 1st of September 2003
EPF web:
EPF-InfO 8 – AUGUST 2003Directory
1. Heiner’s resigning from all EPF offices.
2. My thanks to all Nations and real friends
3. Invitation to the Women Europeans 2003 + Nomination form
4. All female records Masters Hungary can not be accepted.
5. Message from the President
Items 1-4 written by Peter Benesh, Ass.Secrtary EPF and slightly modified by A. Wahlström
1. My resigning from all EPF offices now
Dear friends of Powerlifting,
Since 1982 I am involved in Powerlifting. Since 1984 in the IPF EC and since 1986 I was elected as EPF General Secretary and Treasurer. In all these years there was only one goal for me, to bring Powerlifting forward and develop it and make it more professional like. I worked long days. That you can imagine creates not only friends but it can also make some enemies. That is normal and clear for all of you.
In all these years I have seen from all of you in Europe and the World a big support, only that made it possible for me, to bring my full engagement for our beloved Sport although I was very sick and as all know a legastenic.
But now is reached a point on which, I also with your help (means also with all your help and speaking positive with me to continue ), I not can and will continue. I must think for my health. All these accusations and prejudices from May (wrong and out of private live) did damage my health in such a bad way, I go out full from Powerlifting. My doctor said, “No more chance Mr. Köberich to help you.”
On the one hand I feel myself responsible for EPF and IPF, I not want to be in my person responsible for any split of powerlifting. It is not acceptable for me, that all will be destroyed by some people (and I considered them as closest friends) acting by the motto :”throw as much dirt as possible on Heiner, some will rest on him.” With me there is only a very bad taste after all the years of hard work for Powerlifting. It is not acceptable for me harming arguments.
I did an invitation on EPF letter head and a letter on IPF letterhead to help a national president in his “fight against doping” as IPF G.Secretary, that could maybe be used only a case of warning.
End of August 2003 I resign totally from Powerlifting. I thank all these persons who believe in me and my work. They are still believing in me and helping me with all these years working for powerlifting and for all the nations. To all of them I say thank you. In this resigning I will sadly miss working with all my friends.
2. My thanks to all Nations and real friends.
I thank you all giving me the possibility to make the EPF from a bankrupt and badly organised federation, to a rich and very well organised federation. But from now on all must be done without me and my power to work. I think you are good trained now and strong to let develop EPF and IPF further. But it depends whom you choose to be your future leaders.
I think we not will see us again. And I think so the tradition ends with that EPF INFO, I did 11 a year for over 17 years.
Heiner Köberich
The above was written from Heiner in July, I publish it here in my name, Peter Benesch
3. The Invitation to the Women Europeans is posted at EPF web (
4. All records set at the 1st day of the Masters Benchpress in Hungary in July 2003 are not accepted.
EPF president Arnulf Wahlstroem wrote Heiner to publish here, that all records from the 1st day of the Masters Benchpress in Hungary cannot be accepted, as no doping controls were carried out the same day the records were set. The testing personnel did appear only from the 2nd day (12 hours too late to test the lifters from the 1st day). Wahlstroem regret that this failure in procedure occurred but according to the IOC and IPF standards all record setters MUST be tested immediately after their record setting.
EPF had two positive tests from that meet and they are now by the DC declared for positive: It’s Larysa Ivanova and Georgiy Govallo, both UKR.
These Lifters were tested negative:Naleikin, Viktor UKR, Chala, Yaroslav UKR, Chazelle, Francoise FRA, Dumoluin, Jean Luoise FRA, Kulikov, Alexandr RUS, Sadovmikov, Vladimir RUS, . Garcia, Yves R FRA, Beer, Rosemarie AUT, Keizer, Alie HOL, Giumarra, Francesco ITA, Herchenhein, Ulrike GER.
Peter Benesch also last time as EPF Assistant secretary
Message from the President.
I am sorry to be informed that due to Heiner’s sickness he has decided to stop working with powerlifting to reduce his workload and thereby take better care of his health. This we all must respect.
Heiner was elected EPF GS in 1986 and appointed IPF GS in 1998 succeeding Mike Armstrong. The hard and devoted work by Heiner all this years has been of vital importance to form and build EPF and IPF in the powerful way they are organised to day.
By his active and full time work for the powerlifting sport he has been an effective helper for most federations in their daily work and at numerous European and World championships. His ability to always inform and provide what was necessary to make a competition a success or to arrange travelling schedules, visas etc. for participating countries taking part in European and World championships, was impressive.
An era in the powerlifting history is ended by Heiner’s resignation. I have worked close together with Heiner since 1990, when I became EPF President, and I have always appreciated his strong support and help. Though we have had discussions and disagreements, we have always discussed subjects and not persons. Our friendship has been based on the solid rock that we trusted each other to be honest in all our acting.
Heiner’s strong personality has created him enemies as well as friends but nobody can question Heiner’s intelligence, his tremendous working capacity and his devoted and genuine interest of bringing powerlifting forward.
I am sure all involved in powerlifting have the greatest respect for what Heiner has put into the powerlifting sport and I will give him a big thank you for all he has done!
Heiners work with EPF and IPF powerlifting will be remembered for decades ahead and to replace him by one person to do all the daily powerlifting work besides the championships secretary work he carried out will hardly be possible.
The EC will now discuss the situation and you will all within soon be informed of names and contact addresses to the persons carrying on the daily EPF work after Heiner.
Arnulf Wahlstrom.